Restaurateur Michael Cordúa turns his kitchen into a Rice classroom

Houston restaurateur and entrepreneur Michael Cordúa, owner and executive chef of six Houston-area restaurants, welcomed students from Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business for a cooking seminar that discussed the key ingredients for a good business. An alum of the Executive MBA program at Rice, Cordúa provided a unique look into how he maintains his businesses across the city -- Churrascos, Américas, Amazón Grill, Artista and MjC Events -- and the techniques he uses to develop some of Houston’s most popular dishes.

The evening is just one example of how the Jones Graduate School of Business takes an untraditional approach to delivering executive education programs. The aim is to change the methods and environments of learning so that emerging leaders can better understand how to run a business and sharpen their skills on leadership. The Emerging Leaders program is designed to prepare high-potential employees for management positions. The Executive Education program features two one-week modules separated by an inter-modular period back on the job. During this time, participants continue to work on a simulation with their teammates and receive one-on-one coaching to address individual challenges. This structure allows participants to apply what they are learning, formulate action plans and accelerate their performance.